When we previewed Split/Second back in February one of the aspects which stood out the most – besides the over-the-top explosions – was how fast the game felt. It wasn't just the fact that Disney's new title offered us the opportunity to crash a Boeing 747 into the path of any racing opponents that impressed. It was also the fact that the cars felt so zippy the natural reflex was to lower the hammer as a plane came hurtling towards your car. With that in mind, you have to wonder why in the time between February and its date of release, Split/Second has had the word 'Velocity' added to the title. This feels a little like overkill. It's almost like calling the game Very/Fast: No, Really Very Fast!

It could be that prolonged exposure to the game's combination of speed and mayhem has dulled its developers' senses and now, in their eyes, the title 'Split/Second' doesn't really cut it anymore. In this case, a more appropriate word to add in any rebranding exercise would be Ka-boom! because while speed definitely plays a part, Black Rock Studios' racer is all about the explosions. The game's defining feature is wrapped up in the delightfully chaotic power-plays, which players use to wreck opponents, open shortcuts, alter sections of the track and most important of all, blow stuff up real good.

The power-play mechanic is presented on the HUD as three power meters situated on the rear fender of the player's car. Players fill the meters by drifting, jumping or drafting as they race around the circuit. Once the meter is filled, small icons will appear above the cars in front of them as they pass through various sections of the track. Hitting the 'a'-button at this point will trigger a remote detonation. The power-plays are split into level 1 and 2 categories. Level 1 attacks cause smaller effects, such as a fuel tank exploding or a crane swinging across the track. Level 2 attacks produce spectacular events such as an airport control tower collapsing onto the track, completely altering that section of the circuit for the remainder of the race and crushing any cars unlucky enough to be caught under it.

The effects of the power-play attacks are made all the more spectacular by the game's stunning presentation. The visuals are crisp, detailed and practically glisten with high-definition sheen. During races, the track is tinged with a blurring effect which conveys the sense the player's car is moving dangerously fast. The soundtrack is also instrumental in quickening the player's pulse-rate, mixing frantic electronica with thundering engines and squealing tyres, punctuated by explosions. Split/Second: Velocity also borrows a couple of visual tricks from the Burnout franchise. When players score a direct hit on an opponent with a power-play attack – or manage to wreck themselves – the action slows down, the camera zooms in, the soundtrack become muted and colour drains from the picture as the car in question turns into a metal pretzel. In single-player mode, players can enjoy a quick replay of the effects of their power-play attack by hitting one of the bumpers. Overall, the whole game is rendered in such a way so its production values seem on a par with the sort of big-budget Hollywood blockbuster rolled out by Michael Bay or Jerry Bruckheimer.

The single-player campaign is loosely structured as a reality TV show, but beyond the cinematics that open and close each episode (or level) the game doesn't really do much with this concept. Each episode has a series of races, one bonus challenge and an elite final race that needs to be unlocked before the player can progress to the next episode. Aside from the straightforward races, the game offers a couple of other race-types to keep things interesting. Elimination races begin with a countdown timer on the HUD, and for every time the counter hits zero, the car in last position explodes. Survival races involve dodging explosive barrels dropped by big rigs, and earning points by passing them. Detonator challenges require players to hurtle around a course within a time limit with all manner of mayhem exploding around them. Finally, Air Strike and Air-revenge challenges pit the player against helicopters firing missiles at them as they roar towards the finish line.

The controls are intuitive and easy to use; the accelerator and brake are mapped to the right and left trigger respectively. Drifting involves tapping the brake while heading into a corner, turning into the skid and then hitting the accelerator. The cars feel weighty and responsive. In terms of its handling, Split/Second: Velocity lands solidly in the arcade racer category. Crash barriers are, for the most part forgiving, as long as they aren't hit head on; this can be particularly difficult if an opponent pulls a power-play attack behind the player as they corner, because this will cause the car to fishtail wildly.

So Split/Second: Velocity plays well, looks great and features an innovative and unique central mechanic which is immense fun to use. However, the game is let down slightly by the fact that outside these three aspects, it's a little thin. For starters, while players have a load of cars to unlock, they can be roughly divided into three categories: muscle cars, supercars and trucks. Also, since each car unlocked is better than the last one, it's unlikely that players will use any vehicles other than the last few they unlock. There are also only 11 courses in all and this makes the later part of the single-player mode feel like it's a little lacking in variety. This isn't helped much by the fact that the power-play attacks are locked into certain sections of the different tracks. While this may help players beat online rivals who aren't as knowledgable about the different circuits, the races against the AI can start to feel a little repetitive after a time. It's also worth pointing out that in order to trigger a power play, the player needs to be behind an opponent and any car leading the pack is a sitting duck for everyone else in the race.

Split/Second: Velocity doesn't really lend itself to lengthy solo sessions. This is a game best enjoyed in short bursts, or in the multiplayer. At its best, it's an intoxicating cocktail of high-speed thrills and explosive action. It may feel slightly shallow after several hours of play, but give it a brief window of your time and you're looking at some of the most intense and gleefully maniacal racing available.